Tag Archives: Scotland

I used to be a modern-day, career-driven, busy, multi-tasking mum. I still am. The difference is this: I’ve redirected my driving force from delivering million-pound projects for banking institutions to delivering yoga sessions, wellbeing retreats and supporting local charities. And I’m doing it in the best way I know how: with passion, commitment, a good dose of curiosity and a mantra of “I can only ask.”

I’ve spent a lifetime picking up “other” skills alongside white-collar professional ones. I just never knew how these mismatched pieces of a jigsaw puzzle would somehow lock together one day.

At 27, taking some time out after Graduate training and working for a bank in the city, Reiki healing found me in a timely fashion whilst travelling around South America. It was following an unpleasant incident in Chile, I came across a Reiki-healing initiation course in La Paz, the capital of Bolivia – it was meant to be!

At 33, between leaving Canada and the American bank I was working for and moving to Scotland to join another, I deepened my yoga practice and immersed myself in learning about yoga instruction in Rishikesh, India with Yogrishi Vishvketu, Himalayan Yoga Master and Co-founder of Akhanda Yoga. It was here my yogic name, Asha Jhoti, was given to me which translates to: Light of Hope.

After spending nine years loving and learning about NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) coaching and communication techniques, having children and working that mythical corporate “4-day week,” I made the difficult and brave decision to make some changes at age 42. It boiled down to these 3 things:

Stopping – this was the toughest step, to stop what I was doing, reflect and recognise reoccurring patterns that were no longer fitting with my values and beliefs of where I was at, where I want to be and who I am. Some deep stuff.

Starting – knowing what you don’t want is good. Knowing in what direction you do want to step forward is a journey of discovery.

Exploring – going beyond the known, the comfortable and enjoying the process as new paths unfold. Change included some necessary, meaty adjustments to our lifestyle particularly on the financial front – which were not to be taken lightly.

Now in 2016, my life is evolving through my commitment to yoga in a multitude of new and exciting ways. Yoga for me is becoming a much broader union of the mind, body and breath, I feel my “light of hope” is helping others and it feels good.

In January this year, I decided to take my yoga to new places. I set a challenge to get myself out of the damp Scottish winter slump. Every day in January, I took my yoga into the community and visited a different place of interest around Falkirk, performed a yoga pose and posted the picture to my Facebook site along with some facts about the sight, its history, the pose and its benefits. Local interest and support quickly grew and after the Falkirk Herald ran an article on it, an opportunity for a new challenge shortly followed.

As part of International Earth Hour celebrations in March, I lead 130 curious people into a Guinness Book of Records attempt performing Tree Pose at the iconic Kelpies, Falkirk – the largest equine sculptures in the world (pictured here). The record is in the process of being verified.

This spring has seen a lot of new growth. Firstly I became an ambassador for the ethical and eco-friendly Asquith active wear brand. I then successfully designed and co-hosted my first Wellbeing Retreat in the Scottish Highlands offering daily yoga, hill walking and NLP coaching. In June, I was able to give back through taking part in Glasgow to support Yoga For Alzheimer’s for Alzheimer’s Research UK. I’ve joined the Executive Committee of Yoga Scotland to get involved in promoting yoga in a wider context, I’m starting to write articles around wellbeing-related topics and I am looking forward to whatever else comes next…

As my amazing, rewarding yoga journey unfolds I’m reminded of this: “That which matters most should never give way to that which matters least.” I wonder what repeating patterns you can identify in your life that you could make some changes to, for the better? Namaste.

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This Week’s Yoga Diary

"My regular asana practice before work has been nothing less than transformational. It’s like flicking on a switch as the subtle energies within my body come to life, leaving me feeling refreshed and focused." Scott Robinson works as a banker in the high-stress financial world of London. Read how his yoga practice has helped him to cope with and transform that stress and dramatically shift both his personal and professional life.

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